


Vertigo and Water Bottles

by Traxits



Series: Trust and the Blue [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, Original Game Canon Compliant, Turk-centric, Turkfic, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-11
Updated: 2012-04-11
Packaged: 2017-11-03 11:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/380915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traxits/pseuds/Traxits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were on the ship the first time that she slept with both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vertigo and Water Bottles

They were on the ship the first time that she slept with both of them. And that was all it was. Sleep.

(That would change, eventually. She wasn’t sure how it happened or who started it, but eventually, she would be sleeping with both of them, and she would wonder if perhaps that was just a Turk thing, since she was pretty sure that Tseng and Reno had some sort of Thing going on and everyone knew that Tseng belonged to Rufus in every way possible.)

They were heading back to Midgar from Wutai, and she was spending her nights laying wide awake in her bed, shaking and sweating and incapable of closing her eyes because every time she did, she got this strange sense of vertigo, this bizarre idea that she was hanging upside down, the Wutai countryside spread out under her and the sky endless and forever under her feet. The first time she managed to doze, she woke screaming, and Rude broke the door down so that he and Reno could get to her.

Reno had been the one who sank onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, stroking long fingers through her hair -- he'd smelled of cigarettes and alcohol, of ozone and electricity -- and for that moment, her eyes had closed and the terror that had its claws so deep in her relaxed its hold.

They hadn't bothered to apologize to the captain for the damage to her cabin, and the captain hadn't asked. No doubt he would file a claim with Shinra the moment they arrived in Junon and were off his boat.

The next night, Rude's hand had been warm and heavy in the small of her back, and when the moment came for her to excuse herself, for them to say their goodnights and head back to their cabins (Reno and Rude to the one they shared and her to hers -- the door had been jury-rigged back onto its hinges and would serve until they docked and it could be properly repaired because apparently the supplies to repair it were not considered 'essentials' by this crew), Rude's hand stayed in the small of her back. He and Reno exchanged looks, and Reno grinned, leaning over and snagging the bottle of whiskey off the table and reaching out to haul her to her feet.

He'd pushed his fingers in between hers, and without so much as a word about what he was doing -- because he was talking, sure, but it was some nonsense about SOLDIER boys and orders, not about anything that mattered, not about the fact that he was holding her hand even as Rude walked just behind them, his own hand having slid off of her the moment she stood -- and she'd found herself in their room. They hadn't said anything, but Reno somehow lured her into doing shots with him, and when her eyes were opening again, morning was streaming in through the window, and Rude was in the bed beside her.

She was still fully dressed, and she pushed herself up before she reached up to rub her eyes, stretching just a little as she did. Her hands dropped away, and she caught sight of Reno, sitting on the floor, his back to the wall beside the door, a book open in his lap. Her brow furrowed, and he offered her a lopsided grin before he tossed a bottle of water at her. She caught it instinctively, glanced down at Rude who was still asleep, and then moved to ease out of the bed. Rude made a noise, and she went still, and Reno's laugh broke across the quiet of the room before he dropped the book to the floor and crossed the room to stand just beside her.

He opened the water bottle for her, and she looked up at him, licking her lips before she raised the bottle and tipped her head just a little in silent thanks.

What struck her as hopelessly strange was the way Reno sank down to sit on the edge of the bed, and he watched her drink. He didn't say anything, just watched her with this eerie quiet that she wasn't used to from him, and when she finally drained the bottle and recapped it, he reached out and brushed his thumb against her lower lip.

He pulled his hand back, licking the drop of water off of his thumb, and she felt her mouth go dry as she watched him.

Maybe she was still dreaming.

Or maybe she wasn't, and she watched Reno lean over the bed, idly tugging up one of the blankets over Rude a little more. Then he eased out of the bed, so nearly without it making a noise or even moving under him, and she wondered if that was something he could teach her.

He handed her a book without saying anything, and she was pretty sure that she hadn't ever seen him wordless for this long. But he didn't look upset, didn't strike her as annoyed or irritated (and so help them all, whenever he was upset or irritated, they all knew it; everyone within hearing range knew it), so she just blinked and focused on the book he gave her. It was a manual for the helicopter that they used, the one Reno piloted more by feel than anything, and while it wasn't exactly the most engaging read, it was interesting enough to keep her attention.

At least. Until Rude rolled over and pressed in closer to her, his arm wrapping around her middle, fingers resting loosely on her thigh. She felt her breath catch, and she looked up at Reno who only snorted.

"Even asleep th' bastard's a player," he said easily, and his gaze was a little sharper as he focused on her, watching for... something. Her reactions maybe. She glanced away from him, looking at Rude who had managed to press even closer, getting his head against her thigh.

Her fingers came down to stroke so lightly over the top of his head, and she smiled almost helplessly at the idea of Rude being this vulnerable, being this affectionate, with anybody, let alone her. The bed dipped a little under Reno's weight, and she looked back up, meeting that mako green gaze almost too easily. He was smiling though, and he leaned forward, touching the lightest of kisses to her forehead.

"He's a cuddler. Don't tell, yo," Reno murmured, his lips against her skin, and she swallowed before she hummed her agreement.

Couldn't let anyone know that. Wouldn't look very good for the Turks as a whole. They were supposed to be fierce after all, and there was nothing fierce about this moment, about the warm morning light and the heat from Reno’s skin and Rude pressed so close to her.

She was grateful. She’d had enough of fierce for a little while.


End file.
